The wreck of the Costa Concordia a week ago, has raised awareness on cruise ship awareness, and now Congress is getting involved. Representative John L. Mica (R-FL), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has announced the committee will conduct a heart on cruise ship safety.
According to Mica, "The Committee will review the events of this specific incident, current safety measures and training requirements set by law and international maritime transportation agreements to ensure this mode of transportation remains as safe as possible.”
Mica has asked Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) to help lead the review and preliminary investigations in preparation for a hearing to be planned for February.
LoBiondo added, "The Committee and Subcommittee will use this hearing to review current U.S. laws and regulations in an effort to ensure a similar tragedy does not occur aboard vessels calling on American ports.”
Both said that government must ensure vessel safety and that operating standards and crew training requirements are adequate and also enforced and that the millions of Americans who board ships are kept safe.
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